DO PEOPLE WHO REPEAT THEMSELVES BUG YOU? You know what I mean: They talk in circles. They say something, say it again and then, after touching upon some other matters, important or not, they circle around and then come back and annoyingly say what they already said a couple of times. I name such a person, TORNADO. Around and around, faster and faster....but, watch out, they may just touch down on some sensitive spot in my life. Ouch! And the "ouches" multiply because they keep pummeling my ears and stabbing my heart again and again on that very questionable thing. They milk a subject, well... ER... sort of like I'm milking the subject of this first paragraph. Shall I enlarge further?
But, (and this repetition has to be acceptable because it is God's), have you ever noticed how many times God repeats Himself? He even tells us He's saying it again, on purpose! Listen: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). Then in Psalm 27:14: "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Then this: "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God" (Psalms 62:11). He probably does this because He knows we don't get things the first time around. In fact, haven't we indeed proven this imperviousness many times to Him?
Again and again the prophets of Old Testament times keep saying, "Thus saith the Lord." A teacher told me once it occurred over 2,000 times. Why? Do these men of God need repeatedly to remind us that what they are saying is really from the Lord? Is this the way they establish the Lord's authoritative Word? Very possibly! Or, do they know we just don't listen very well.
We ARE so very slow to listen! But when God speaks, He being God and having put His words in black and white, we do not need second opinions from others. But He does repeat Himself necessarily because we are so dull of hearing. Truth after truth is set forth over and over in the Bible. God's wants us to get it and live accordingly.
Once, during a commercial airline flight, the attendant passed out gum, telling passengers it would relieve the pressure in their ears during the descent. After landing, it took one passenger an hour to get the gum out of her ears. That's it! I have the gum of indifference, preoccupation and disinterest in my ears. My mother always told me to get the wax out of my ears! I should have told her it was gum.
- Dick D. Christen
